Any suggestions in the Jamestown and Williamsburg areas? I plan to check out the Chickahominy Riverfront Park (confluence of Chickahominy and James) but there might be a low bridge. Anything a bit closer to Richmond would be OK, too.

On the York, I really don't know the lay of the land very well but if there's a good place around West Point it might be useful although the York certainly isn't as wide as the lower James.

I drove by Chickahominy today. The bridge is tall enough, but the ramp is on the north side of the park, so it puts you in some backwater that leads to the Chick which takes you to the bridge which has lots of concrete pilings after which you are a half mile from the James. It's doable if there's a good breeze, but I want something easier. There is possibly a beach road on Jamestown Island where one could launch with beach wheels.

Yesterday I launched at Gloucester Point Beach Park and all I can say is THAT PLACE ROCKS. Nice 2-wide ramp, adjacent beach for rigging, easy access to parking with no overhead lines, and best of all once you are in the water you are THERE. No navigating down some back estuary or through bridges, you are simply right there with miles of water all around you. No fee that I could find. GPBP is directly at the north end of the Coleman bridge, east side. It's the first right turn you can make as you leave the toll plaza ($3 with trailer northbound only).

My impression may be colored by the fact that it was a spectacular sailing day, one of the best I've ever had, but that doesn't really change any of the above facts.

wow, quite a flashback. I grew up in Newport News. In the 1980s, we sailed off a boat ramp on the northeast side of the Coleman bridge, Gloucester Point. Really great.We also sailed out of Ft. Eustis on the James River. Also amazing. I don't know if you need to be military to get in there.You might want to look at Buckroe beach in Hampton. More of an ocean feel.I also think there is a boat ramp at the James River Bridge in Newport News. There may also be one on the south side of the bridge.

I launched today at York River State Park, which is at the end of Croaker Road on the south bank. It is not my new favorite launch site. The wind was from the south (offshore) and there are tall forests and bluffs along that bank, so there is turbulence for quite a ways out. Tacking through this turbulence to get back to the ramp wasn't much fun at all. Additionally, there were bugs (greenfly kinds of biting things) during rig and takedown.

Out in that section of the river, the wind was very gusty, Could have been the day, but it also could be typical based on the topography. Lots of butt-dunking on the wire, even when I was trying to read the wind. It wasn't awful - a day on the water with a friend in sunshine and 15+ knots just can't be bad - but the wind was certainly frustrating at times.

On a day like that with the wind from the south, Gloucester Point (on the north bank) is a far better choice, with lower banks, wider water, and a screaming reach back to the beach. That last point would have saved us a good half hour of tacking through dirty air.

My inlaws live on the Chisman creek which dumps into Poquoson bay. They've always been motorheads but I'm trying to get them hooked on our Getaway. Most of my sailing has been in the Poquoson bay. Haven't quite gotten up the gumption to go up around York Point into the mouth of the York, but I think on a calmer day would be a great trip. Anyone have experience sailing Hobies in that area?